Green Henry
‘That’s not so,’ asserted Catherine. ‘You owe Henry a kiss, you witch!’ ‘Oh, for shame, Catherine! You shouldn’t tell such stories,’ said the embarrassed child, and the inexorable maid replied: ‘That’s as it may be, the hill fell down before you had turned round three times, and you owe Master Henry a kiss!’ ‘Then I will go on owing it,’ she cried laughing, and I, glad to have escaped the solemn ceremony, and yet turning the matter to my own advantage, said: ‘Good. Then promise me that you will always go on owing me a kiss!’ ‘Yes, I’ll do that!’ cried she, and gaily and mischievously, she gave the hand I proffered a resounding slap. She was now lively and boisterous, and as nimble as quicksilver, seemingly quite a different person from what she was by day. Midnight had transfigured her, her little face was quite rosy and her eyes shone with pleasure. She danced round the helpless Catherine, teased her and was pursued by her, there began a chase round the room in which I became involved...